Yoon's National Sports Festival Commemorative Speech Sees Jeonnam Provincial Assembly Seats 'Empty'... Reasons for Mass Departure

Most Jeonnam Provincial Assembly Members Leave... Only Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson Remain
"It's a Shame to Leave Seats Empty at an Event Held in Jeonnam," Opinions Expressed

Most members of the Jeonnam Provincial Council left their seats before President Yoon Suk-yeol's commemorative speech at the opening ceremony of the 104th National Sports Festival, causing controversy. This National Sports Festival was held in Mokpo, Jeonnam. There are opinions that it was inappropriate for the Jeonnam Provincial Council members, who are practically hosts, to leave during the event. It is reported that the council members left early due to bus schedule constraints.

According to Jeonnam Province and the Korea Sports Council on the 14th, about 30 Jeonnam council members arrived at Mokpo General Stadium, where the opening ceremony was held, about an hour before the event and sat in designated seats near the VIP section where President Yoon and others were seated.

President Yoon Suk-yeol delivers a commemorative speech at the opening ceremony of the 104th National Sports Festival held at Mokpo Sports Complex in Jeollanam-do on the afternoon of the 13th.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

The event gathered about 15,000 people, including President Yoon and the First Lady, government officials, delegations from 17 cities and provinces nationwide, 18 overseas Korean athlete teams, and residents of Jeonnam.

Most Jeonnam council members left their seats during the opening remarks by Lee In-chon, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the welcoming speech by Kim Young-rok, Governor of Jeonnam, during the opening address by Lee Ki-heung, President of the Korea Sports Council. During President Yoon's commemorative speech, most of the Jeonnam Provincial Council members, who were practically hosts, were absent. Only about one or two people, including Seo Dong-wook, Chairman of the Jeonnam Provincial Council, and Jeon Kyung-sun, Vice Chairman, remained until the end.

On the other hand, sports council officials who sat in seats separately prepared near the VIP section during President Yoon's speech mostly stayed until the end. As a result, the empty seats left by the council members who left during the event were even more noticeable. The fact that many Jeonnam council members left their seats in the middle of the opening ceremony has sparked controversy as inappropriate behavior.

It is known that the Jeonnam council members left early due to the schedule of the Jeonnam Provincial Council's official bus. Sports council officials responded, "Although it is said to be because of the bus schedule, it is regrettable that they left their seats while the event was held in Jeonnam."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.